Method of separating streams of displacing multi-layered stacks of rodlike elements and valve device for separating streams of multi-layered stacks of rodlike elements

ABSTRACT

In order to separate streams of multi-layered stacks of rodlike elements the rodlike elements are removed from the adjoining area of a horizontal conveyor ( 3 ) or a channel positioned at an angle ( 1 ), in which the stack of rodlike elements becomes a passive stream to the area of the channel ( 1 ) or the horizontal conveyor ( 3 ), in which the stack becomes an active stream, and the space taken up by the removed elements is equal to the volume of the appropriate sector of a cylinder of radius (r) corresponding to with (P) of the horizontal conveyor ( 3 ) and/or width (K) of the channel ( 1 ), whereas the walls of the cylinder which are parallel to the axis of the cylinder separate the non-parallel streams. The said elements can also be shut in a recess ( 13 ) of cross section corresponding to the shape of a horizontal conveyor ( 3 ″) or a channel ( 1 ″) made within a rotary cylinder, crosswise an axis of rotation ( 9 ″), whereas the axis of rotation ( 9 ″) of the cylinder is situated in the symmetry plane of the recess ( 13 ), moreover the axis of rotation ( 9 ″) of the cylinder is situated in the symmetry plane of the horizontal conveyor ( 3 ″) and/or a channel ( 1 ″), whereas the shutting of the elements is realised by turning the cylinder. The valve device for separating streams consists of a valve ( 8 ) shaped as a cylinder of radius (r) or a sector of a cylinder positioned in the area of crossing the horizontal conveyor ( 3 ) and the channel ( 1 ), whereas the axis of rotation ( 9 ) of the valve ( 8 ) is the axis of the cylinder and overlaps a line of intersection of a plane of an upper wall ( 6 ) of the horizontal conveyor ( 3 ) with a plane of a side wall ( 2 ) of the channel ( 1 ), or the line of intersection of a plane of a lower wall ( 7 ′) of a horizontal conveyor ( 3 ′) with a plane of side wall ( 2 ′) of a channel ( 1 ′), or the axis of rotation ( 9 ″) of the valve ( 8 ″) is situated in the symmetry plane of the channel ( 1 ″) and/or the horizontal conveyor ( 3 ″) at a distance equal to or slightly bigger than the cylinder radius (r″) measured from a line of intersection of a plane of a side wall ( 2 ) of the channel ( 1 ″) with a plane of a wall ( 6 ″) and/or ( 7 ″) of the horizontal conveyor ( 3 ″), whereas within the cylinder there is through recess ( 13 ) the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the channel ( 1 ″) and/or the horizontal conveyor ( 3 ″), whereas the axis of rotation ( 9 ″) of the valve ( 8 ″) is situated in the symmetry plane of the recess ( 13 ).

[0001] The subject of the invention is a method of separating ofdisplacing non-parallel streams of rodlike elements, especially fortobacco industry products, and a valve device for separating the saidstreams.

[0002] In production lines of rodlike products of tobacco industry suchas cigarettes or filter rods in the production process the said productsare transported a long method after exiting the making machine beforethey become packed in a packing machine or placed in stores. Thetransporting is usually realised in a multi-layered ordered stack. Thereis a necessity to handle the stream of the products in order to deliverthem to various machines in a production line. Cigarettes or filter rodsare transported on horizontal conveyors. Cigarettes can be deliveredonto the conveyors and collected from the conveyors via channelspositioned at angles to the horizontal conveyors, the channels canconnect various horizontal conveyors. The rodlike products fill theconveyors and the channels to an extent, which assures correct flows ofthe products. During displacing the said products along the horizontalconveyor over the bottom layer or under the bottom layer of the rodlikeelements in the channels or while changing direction of a stream fromvertical to horizontal or from horizontal to vertical, the products ofthe outer layer of the active stream roll along the outer layer of thepassive stream finding itself in the adjoining channel or conveyor,which usually causes degradation of the products in the adjoining area,which will be rejected in further production process and bringsignificant losses. At the present state of engineering devices forchanging direction of mass flow of rodlike products are known in tobaccoindustry. For example in the description of the German patent No.3.530.028 an assembly for changing direction of flow with the angle of90° has been presented, the task of the assembly is to deliver theproducts of tobacco industry to a filling machine. The assembly isequipped with a cover, which acts as an elastic membrane connected totwo covers rotary assembled on two neighboring axes. After an increasedamount of products has been gathered in the area of outlet flow invertical plane, the membrane is pressed at the bottom, which whiledrawing back causes opening the covers, which increases the volume ofthe container above the vertical channel. Modification of this solutiondisclosed in the description of the German patent application No.19.938.542 is based on elimination of the membrane and exchanging itwith a cover shaped of two parts joined kinematically so that the insidemeasurements of the cross section of the cover follow automatically thechanges of flow of rodlike products in the assembly of changingdirection of flow of rodlike products. In turn in the U.S. Pat. No.4,507,040 a method of transporting and a device for transportingcigarettes or rodlike products between a making machine and a packingmachine have been presented. The route of cigarettes has been describedin details and especially the change of direction of a stream fromhorizontal to vertical and the method of controlling of closing anoutlet into a vertical channel, the task of the channel is to leadcigarettes into an intermediate store in certain cases that is in orderto remove them from the adjoining area, where degradation of cigarettesis caused by rolling them. The removed cigarettes are replaced by theappropriate amount of products delivered in farther section of thehorizontal conveyor. In the description of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,020which reffers to a device for handling rodlike products, a trial hasbeen made in order to apply a moving plate in the method of horizontalstream of rodlike products, which separates the stream from verticalchannel. The invention presents various technical solutions of the sameplate as well as means for driving the plate. The weak point of thesolution is the risk of damaging the rodlike products while placing theplate horizontally into the channel filled with the products.

[0003] In accordance with the invention, the essential feature of themethod of separating a stream of displacing stack of rodlike elementsfilling a horizontal conveyor, in which the displacement of elements isforced, from a stream of displacing stack of rodlike elements filling achannel positioned at an angle to the conveyor, in which thedisplacement of the elements is forced by gravitation, wherein theinside dimensions of the passages in the cross sections of thehorizontal conveyor and the channel positioned at an angle enable equalflow intensities, constitutes in the removal of rodlike elements fromthe adjoining area of the conveyor or the channel, the rodlike elementsin which become the passive stream, to the area of the channel or theconveyor, the rodlike elements in which become the active stream. Thespace taken by the removed elements is equal to the volume of onequarter of a cylinder of radius, which corresponds to the width of theconveyor or the channel, whereas the walls of the said sector of thecylinder, which are parallel to the axis of the cylinder separate thenon-parallel streams of multi-layered stacks of rodlike elements. In thecase where the multi-layered stack of rodlike elements in the channelbecomes the passive stream, elements are removed from the adjoining areato the pocket above the conveyor formed by movable parts of the upperwalls of the conveyor above the said channel.

[0004] Another characteristic the method of separating the stream ofdisplacing stack of rodlike elements filling the horizontal conveyorfrom the stream of displacing stack of rodlike elements filling thechannel placed at an angle to the conveyor, in which the displacement ofthe elements is forced by gravitation, wherein the inside dimensions ofthe passages in the cross sections of the horizontal conveyor and thechannel positioned at an angle enable equal flow intensities,constitutes in the shutting the said elements placed in the adjoiningarea of the streams in the conveyor or a channel, the rodlike elementsin which become the passive stream, in a recess the shape of whichcorresponds to the cross section of the conveyor or channel, whereas therecess is made in a rotary assembled cylinder crosswise the axis of thecylinder, whereas the symmetry plane of the recess overlaps the axis ofrotation of the cylinder and the axis of the cylinder is placed in thesymmetry plane of the conveyor or the channel. The shutting of therodlike elements is realized by turning the cylinder.

[0005] The said variations of the method of separating streams eliminatedegradation of the outer layer of the rodlike elements in the passivestream, moreover they constitute the facility to displace the rodlikeelements at the desired speeds. Removing the elements from the passiveto the active stream protects from increased pressure in the stream andthe effect is also helped by applying a special pocket in appropriatevariation. Removing the elements from the adjoining area does notdisturb their orientation, that is the rodlike elements are positionedparallely which is a condition of mass flow in tobacco industry. Thespace created after removing the elements becomes taken by a wall of acylinder of specially calculated dimensions, along the wall themultilayered stack of elements can displace without disturbingcontinuity of the stream.

[0006] The essence of the valve device according to the invention ofseparating streams of multilayered stacks of rodlike elements placed inthe area of crossing the horizontal conveyor equipped with a moving bandand the channel positioned at an angle, equipped with non-moving walls,whereas the inside dimensions of the cross sections of the passages ofthe conveyor and the channel are the same, constitutes the constructionof the rotary valve placed in the area of crossing the horizontalconveyor and the channel. The valve is shaped as a sector of a cylinderof radius corresponding to the width of the horizontal conveyor and thewidth of the channel and height corresponding to the length of therodlike elements, whereas the axis of rotation of the valve is the axisof the cylinder and overlaps a line of intersection of a plane of theupper wall of the horizontal conveyor and a plane of the side wall ofthe channel positioned at an angle. It is mostly required that the valveconstitutes a half of a cylinder.

[0007] The essence of the variation of the valve device for separatingstreams of multilayered stacks of rodlike elements placed in the area ofcrossing the horizontal conveyor equipped with a moving band and thechannel positioned at an angle, equipped with non-moving walls, whereasthe inside dimensions of the passages of the cross sections of theconveyor and the channel do not equal, constitutes the construction ofthe rotary valve placed in the area of crossing the horizontal conveyorand the channel. The valve is shaped as a sector of a cylinder of radiuscorresponding to the width of the channel and height corresponding tothe length of the rodlike elements, whereas the axis of rotation of thevalve is the axis of the cylinder and overlaps the line of intersectionof a plane of the lower wall of the horizontal conveyor and a plane ofthe side wall of the channel positioned at an angle. It is mostlyrequired that the valve constitutes one quarter of a cylinder. Above theupper wall of the horizontal conveyor there is a pocket above thechannel, shaped by hinge assembled parts of the upper wall of thehorizontal conveyor driven by the pressure of the rodlike elements.

[0008] The essence of another variation of the valve device forseparating streams of multi-layered stacks of rodlike elements placed inthe area of crossing the horizontal conveyor equipped with a moving bandand the channel positioned at an angle, equipped with non-moving walls,constitutes the construction of the rotary valve shaped as a cylinder,the rotation axis of which is placed in the symmetry plane of thechannel and/or the horizontal conveyor, at a distance from the line ofintersection of a plane of the side wall of the channel with a plane ofthe wall of the horizontal conveyor, which is equal to the radius orslightly bigger than the radius of the cylinder. Within the cylinderwhich constitutes the rotary valve there is a through recess, the shapeof which corresponds to the cross section of the horizontal conveyor orthe channel and the axis of rotation is positioned in the symmetry planeof the recess.

[0009] The advantage of all variations of the valve according to theinvention is the possibility of removing the rodlike elements from theadjoining area of two non-parallel streams without disturbing thewell-ordered stacks within the range of applied speeds of the streams.At the same time the side walls of the valve shut the passive stream andbecome side walls for the active stream. After next turning of thevalve, which will result in placing the valve in previous position,well-ordered and not deformed rodlike elements from the passive streamjoin the active stream.

[0010] The subject of the invention has been presented as realisationexamples.

[0011]FIG. 1 presents schematically a valve consisting of a half of acylinder in a position, which allows the change of direction of theactive stream, situated in the crossing area of the horizontal conveyorand the channel of equal inside dimensions of the passages of crosssections of the conveyor and the channel,

[0012]FIG. 2 the valve of FIG. 1 in a position which allows the flow ofthe active stream only along the horizontal conveyor,

[0013]FIG. 3 the valve consisting of one quarter of a cylinder in aposition, which allows the flow of the active stream along thehorizontal conveyor and the channel, positioned in the area of crossingthe horizontal conveyor and the channel, whereas the inside dimensionsof the passages of the cross sections of the conveyor and the channelare not equal,

[0014]FIG. 4 the valve of FIG. 3 in a position which allows the flow ofthe stream only along the horizontal conveyor,

[0015]FIG. 5 valve consisting of a cylinder near the outlet of thechannel into the horizontal conveyor in an opened position which allowsthe flow of the active stream from the channel into the horizontalconveyor,

[0016]FIG. 6 the valve of FIG. 5 in a shut position which allows theflow of the active stream only along the horizontal conveyor,

[0017]FIG. 7 the valve of FIG. 6 in a position where the axis ofrotation of the valve overlaps the line of intersection of the symmetryplane of the horizontal conveyor with the symmetry plane of the channel.

[0018] According to the invention variation shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2,a vertical channel 1 of width K equipped with non-moving side walls 2 ispositioned over a horizontal conveyor 3 of width P equipped with amoving band 4, used for forcing the displacement of the multi-layeredordered stack 5, which overlaps a plane of an upper wall 6 and a planeof a lower wall 7 of the horizontal conveyor 3, whereas the width P ofthe conveyor 3 and the width K of the channel 1 are equal. In the areaof crossing the channel 1 and the horizontal conveyor 3 is placed arotary valve which consists of a half of a cylinder of radius r whichcorresponds to width P of the horizontal conveyor and of heightcorresponding to the length of the rodlike elements in stack 5. An axisof rotation 9 of a valve 8 is the axis of the cylinder and overlaps theline of intersection of the plane of the upper wall plane 6 of thehorizontal conveyor 3 with the plane of the side wall 2 of the channel1, whereas walls 10 of the valve 8, which are parallel to the axis ofthe cylinder, separate the rodlike elements of the active and passivestreams.

[0019] In the case when the active stream of the stack 5 displaces inthe channel 1 to the right part of the horizontal conveyor 3, the valve8 shuts the left side of the of the conveyor 3 with its wall 10 and theflat surface of the wall 10 constitutes a lengthening of the side wall 2of the channel 1. When changing the direction of the active stream tohorizontal, the clockwise turning valve 8 moves the rodlike elementsfrom the adjoining area of the channel 1 into the horizontal conveyor 3with the flat surface of the wall 10, which does not increase thepressure in the stream as at the same time an empty space is createdafter retreating the second part of the valve 8 from the area of theconveyor 3, which can be taken by elements from the channel 1. At thesame time the round wall 10 of the valve 8 separates the stack 5 of theelements in upper part of the channel 1.

[0020] In another variation of the invention shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4,a vertical channel 1′ of width K′ is situated underneath a horizontalconveyor 3′ of width P′, whereas the width P′ of the conveyor 3′ isbigger than the width K′ of the channel 1′. In the area of crossing thehorizontal conveyor 3′ and the channel 1′ is positioned a rotary valve8′ in form of one quarter of a cylinder of radius r′ corresponding tothe width K′ of the channel 1′ and of height corresponding to the lengthof rodlike elements in a stack 5′. An axis of rotation 9′ of the valve8′ is the axis of the cylinder and overlaps the line of intersection ofa plane of a lower wall 7′ of the horizontal conveyor 3′ with a plane ofa side wall 2′ of the channel 1′. In an upper wall 6′ of the horizontalconveyor 3′ there is a pocket 11′ shaped by two movable parts 12 hingeassembled at the upper wall 6′. Walls 10′ of the valve 8′, which areparallel to the axis of the cylinder separate the rodlike elements ofactive and passive streams.

[0021] In the case when the active stream of the stack 5′ displacesalong the horizontal conveyor 3′ and a part of the stream is collectedby the channel 1′, the valve 8′ is hidden and a straight installment ofthe wall 10′ constitutes a lengthening of the side wall 2′ of thechannel 1′. In order to eliminate the flow into the channel 1′ and tocontinue the flow of the active stream in the horizontal conveyor 3′,the clockwise turning valve 8′ moves the rodlike elements from theadjoining area of the channel 1′ into the horizontal conveyor 3′ withthe straight installment of the wall 10′. The pressure which isgenerated in the active stream is immediately eliminated due to thepocket 11, which becomes filled because of the pressure of the elementsdisplaced by the valve 8′, whereas the volume of the pocket 11corresponds to the volume taken by the valve 8′ in the channel 1′. Thisstate lasts for a very short time because the rodlike elements will betransfering from the pocket 11 into the displacing stack 5′ till theparts 12 return to the position, where they overlap the plane of theupper wall 6′. At the same time the round wall 10′ of the valve 8′separates the stack 5′ in the channel 1′.

[0022] In another variation of the invention shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6,in the area of crossing a horizontal conveyor 3″ and a vertical channel1″ positioned above the conveyor 3″, is placed a rotary valve 8″ shapedas a cylinder of radius r″. The axis of rotation 9″ of the valve 8″ ispositioned in the symmetry plane of the channel 1″ at a distance fromthe line of intersection of a plane of a side wall 2″ of the channel 1″with a plane of an upper wall 6″ of the horizontal conveyor 3″ which isslightly bigger than the radius r″ of the cylinder. Within the cylinderwhich constitutes the rotary valve 8″ there is a through recess 13 ofthe shape and the inside dimensions of the cross section of the channel1″, whereas the axis of rotation 9″ of the valve 8″ is positioned in thesymmetry plane of the recess 13.

[0023] In the case when an active stream of the stack 5″ displacingalong the channel 1″ joins an active stream of the stack 5″ displacingalong the horizontal conveyor 3″, the valve 8″ is opened, so the recess13 overlaps the channel 1″. In case of necessity to separate the activestream in the channel 1″ from the active stream in the horizontalconveyor 3″, the valve 8″ is rotated round the axis 9″ with the angle of90°. The rodlike elements become shut in the recess 13 and at the sametime the round wall 10″ of the valve 8″ separates the stack 5” in theupper part of the channel 1″, on the other hand it constitutes a part ofthe upper wall 6″ of the horizontal conveyor 3″, in which the activestream is displacing.

[0024] In FIG. 7 a valve 8″ is presented which is identical with the onein FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 but an axis of rotation 9″ overlaps the line ofintersection of the symmetry plane of the horizontal conveyor 3″ withthe symmetry plane of the channel 1″. In this case the distances betweenthe axis of rotation 9″ and the lines of intersection of planes of theside walls 6″ and 7″ of the horizontal conveyor 3″ are equal to theradius r″ of the cylinder, whereas the widths P″ and K″ of thehorizontal conveyor 3″ and the channel 1″ are equal.

1. A method of separating non-parallel streams of displacingmulti-layered stacks of rodlike elements filling a horizontal conveyor,wherein the displacing of the elements is forced and a channelpositioned at an angle, wherein the displacing of the elements isrealized by the gravitation, wherein the inside dimensions of thepassages of the cross sections of the horizontal conveyor and thechannel positioned at an angle enable equal intensities of flows ofrodlike elements, characterised in that in order to separate the streamsthe said rodlike elements are removed from the adjoining area of thehorizontal conveyor or the channel, in which the stack of the elementsbecomes a passive stream, to the area of the conveyor or the channel, inwhich the stack becomes an active stream and the space taken up by theremoved elements equals the space of one quarter of a cylinder of radiusequal to the width of the conveyor or the channel, wherein the walls ofthe said cylinder which are parallel to the axis of the cylinderseparate multi-layered non-parallel streams of rodlike elements.
 2. Themethod according to claim 1, characterised in that the rodlike elementsare removed from the adjoining area of the channel positioned at anangle underneath the conveyor to a pocket shaped by movable parts at theupper wall of the conveyor above the said channel.
 3. A method ofseparating non-parallel streams of displacing multi-layered stacks ofrodlike elements filling a horizontal conveyor, wherein the displacingof the elements is forced and a channel positioned at an angle, whereinthe displacing of the elements is realised by the gravitation, whereinthe inside dimensions of the passages of the cross sections of thehorizontal conveyor and the channel positioned at an angle enable equalintensities of flows of rodlike elements, characterised in that in orderto separate the streams the said rodlike elements in the adjoining areaof the horizontal conveyor or the channel, in which the stack of theelements becomes a passive stream, are shut in a recess made in rotaryassembled cylinder, where the cross section of the recess corresponds tothe cross section of the conveyor or the channel and the recess is madecrosswise the axis of the cylinder, whereas the axis of rotation of thecylinder is situated in the symmetry plane of the recess, moreover theaxis of rotation of the cylinder is situated in the symmetry plane ofthe horizontal conveyor and/or the channel, whereas the shutting of therodlike elements is realized by turning the cylinder.
 4. A valve devicefor separating streams of displacing multi-layered stacks of rodlikeelements situated in the area of crossing a horizontal conveyor equippedwith a movable band and a channel positioned at an angle equipped withnon-movable walls, whereas in the inside dimensions of the passages ofthe cross sections of the conveyor and the channel are the same,characterised in that in the place of crossing the horizontal conveyor(3) and the channel positioned at an angle (1) is situated a rotaryvalve (8) in form of a sector of a cylinder of radius (r) correspondingto the width (P) of the horizontal conveyor (3) and the width (K) of thechannel (1) and height corresponding to the length of the rodlikeelements, whereas an axis of rotation (9) of the valve (8) is the axisof the cylinder and overlaps the line of intersection of a plane of anupper wall (6) of the horizontal conveyor (3) with a plane of a sidewall (2) of the channel positioned at an angle (1).
 5. The deviceaccording to claim 4 characterised in that the valve (8) constitutes ahalf of a cylinder.
 6. A valve device for separating streams ofdisplacing multi-layered stacks of rodlike elements situated in the areaof crossing a horizontal conveyor equipped with a movable band and achannel positioned at an angle equipped with non-movable walls, whereasthe inside dimensions of the passages of the cross sections of theconveyor and the channel are not the same, characterised in that in thearea of crossing of the horizontal conveyor (3′) and the channelpositioned at an angle (1′) is situated a rotary valve (8′) in form of asector of a cylinder of radius (r′) corresponding to width (K′) of thechannel (1′) and of height corresponding to the length of rodlikeelements, whereas an axis of rotation (9′) of the valve (8′) is the axisof the cylinder and overlaps the line of intersection of a plane of alower wall (7′) of the horizontal conveyor (3′) with a plane of a sidewall (2′) of the channel positioned at an angle (1′).
 7. The deviceaccording to claim 6 characterised in that the valve (8′) constitutesone quarter of a cylinder.
 8. The device according to claims 6 or 7characterised in that in an upper wall (6′) of the horizontal conveyor(3′) above channel (1′) is situated a pocket (11) shaped by hingeassembled parts (12) of the top wall (6′), which are driven by pressureof the rodlike elements.
 9. A valve device for separating streams ofdisplacing multi-layered stacks of rodlike elements situated in the areaof crossing a horizontal conveyor equipped with a movable band and achannel positioned at an angle equipped with non-movable walls,characterised in that the device is equipped with a rotary valve (8″) inform of a cylinder, whereas an axis of rotation (9″) of the valve (8″)is situated in the symmetry plane of a channel (1″) and/or a horizontalconveyor (3″) at a distance from the line of intersection of a plane ofa side wall (2″) of the channel (1″) with a plane of a wall (6″) and/or(7″) of the horizontal conveyor (3″) which is equal or slightly biggerthan radius (r″), whereas there is a through recess (13) made within thecylinder constituting the rotary valve (8″), wherein the cross sectionof the recess corresponds to the cross section of channel (1″) and /orthe horizontal conveyor (3″), whereas the axis of rotation (9″) of thevalve (8″) is situated in the symmetry plane of the recess (13).